Malinga mulls retirement after T20 World Cup

Lasith Malinga, Sri Lanka's limited-overs captain, aims to play the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2020 in Australia before signing off from international cricket.

“After the World Cup, my cricketing career is ending,” Malinga said after his side lost the second Twenty20 International against South Africa by 16 runs. “I want to play in the T20 World Cup and then end my career.”

Malinga, 35, is a limited-overs great for Sri Lanka, picking up 322 wickets from 218 one-day internationals – including four in four balls against South Africa in the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2007 – and 97 in 72 T20Is with his unique bowling action.

That is one short of the record for most wickets in men's T20Is, currently held by Shahid Afridi.

Injuries have affected his career, and several times in the past he's considered hanging up his boots. But having been handed the reigns of the side again, he appears keen to sign off on a high.

His first focus is the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. While there is no confirmation if the selectors will persist with him as skipper for the World Cup, especially after the team's poor performance in South Africa where they were swept 5-0, Malinga is putting himself in the best place for selection.

He is set to miss six matches of the Indian Premier League, where he is the all-time highest wicket-taker, to play Sri Lanka's domestic Super Provincial One Day tournament.